Start with the people who publish
A static website delivers prepared files. A server-rendered content system can assemble a page in response to a request. Both can publish excellent articles; the important difference for a small publication is often how a draft becomes a live page. A site maintained by one technical owner has different needs from a newsroom with several reviewers.
Before comparing platforms, follow one article from idea to correction. Who edits the text? Who checks the links? Who can publish it? If the answer involves copying the same header into twenty files, the apparent simplicity of hand-written HTML may become maintenance work. A small static generator can keep the deployment simple while sharing layouts.
Separate content from interactive services
An article archive, category pages and an editorial policy can work as static files. Accounts, private dashboards and server-side submissions require additional services. Adding those services changes the operating model even if the front end still consists of HTML.
Write down the actual requirements rather than an imagined future platform. A useful inventory has three columns: feature, person responsible, and consequence if it fails. An unused newsletter box should not become a permanent dependency simply because a template includes one.
Run a publishing rehearsal
Create a draft, preview it on a phone, publish it, correct a broken link and restore the previous version. Time the whole sequence. Include image preparation and metadata, not just the initial upload. This rehearsal makes workflow friction visible before migration.
Keep an inventory of old URLs if you are replacing an existing site. Map each useful page to its new address, preserve relevant content, and configure redirects at the host. A new design is not a reason to send every old article to the homepage.
Before you finish
- Can the editor publish without changing the layout?
- Can a previous release be restored?
- Are existing article URLs accounted for?
Technical reference
MDN: client-server overview